Biodiversity under threat: using the Planetary Boundaries to evaluate biodiversity today
By Daniela Gállego, Hanna Palazuelos and Alessandra Lopez
Keywords: Biodiversity, biosphere, Planetary Boundaries, ecosystems, habitat loss, climate change, pollution.
Introduction
What are planetary boundaries?
Conceived in 2009 by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, in Sweden, this concept aims to define the environmental limits within which humanity can safely operate to avoid a drastic and irreversible environmental change. Each planetary boundary is one of these limits. As of 2023, six out of the nine planetary boundaries have been crossed, and pressure in every single boundary process is increasing, shows new research called Earth beyond six of nine planetary boundaries from the journal Science Advances.
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the variety of life you’ll find in a definite place: animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms (National Geographic, 2023). Each of these organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life. Biodiversity supports everything in nature that we need to survive: food, clean water, medicine, and shelter.
Why does biodiversity matter?
Knowing this, we ask ourselves: “Why does biodiversity matter?”. According to
Martín-López (n.d), the value of biodiversity can be classified into three categories: intrinsic, instrumental and relational. Intrinsic refers to the inherent worth of nature by itself, without taking into account human components.
It considers nature as worthy of moral consideration for its own sake. The instrumental value considers how we can use biodiversity to our own advantage, getting food, medicine, materials, energy, etc. Lastly, relational value relates to the relationship between humans and nature, which can be related to culture, and social identity.
In conclusion, biodiversity plays a crucial role in the mechanisms that sustain life on Earth, and this includes human life. The presence of various animals, plants, and microorganisms is indispensable for maintaining the health of ecosystems, which in turn supply the air we breathe and the food we consume.
How is this related to planetary boundaries?
We can relate the loss of biodiversity to the planetary boundary that measures this exactly: “Biosphere integrity”. The biosphere is the zone of the Earth, including its atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere, where life exists. It encompasses all living organisms and their interactions with each other and with the physical environment. All ecosystems in our planet are part of the biosphere and in its natural form, the biosphere is perfectly balanced (Rutledge et al., 2023). However, as research from the Stockholm Resilience Center (2023) shows, the biosphere is greatly affected, and the planetary boundary has been crossed (figure 1).
Factors that are negatively impacting this boundary
The main threats to biodiversity and planetary boundaries include a range of human activities that are causing significant changes in ecosystems and the biosphere overall. These threats can lead to biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystem services that support life on Earth. Some of the primary threats are:
Habitat loss and degradation
The conversion of natural habitats into urban, agricultural, or industrial areas, as well as the fragmentation of natural landscapes, reduces the availability of habitats for wildlife and can lead to species extinction (World Wildlife Fund, 2018).
Habitat loss and degradation occur in various forms and affect ecosystems worldwide. Here are some notable cases:
Cases | Contexts |
Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest
| Also called “Lungs of the Earth,” has been subjected to extensive deforestation due to logging, agricultural expansion (particularly for soybean and cattle farming), infrastructure development, and illegal mining. Threatening countless species of plants and animals, some of which are endemic from there (WWF, 2024) |
Urbanization & infrastructure development
| Rapid urbanization and infrastructure development contribute to habitat loss and fragmentation, particularly in coastal areas and fertile plains. Expansion of cities, roads, and industrial zones often results in the destruction of natural habitats, displacement of wildlife, and disruption of ecological processes (The Royal Society, 2022) |
Destruction of coral reefs
| Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, providing habitats for a vast array of marine species. However, coral reefs are threatened by climate change-induced ocean warming and acidification, pollution, overfishing, and destructive fishing practices such as blast fishing and cyanide fishing. These threats have led to widespread coral bleaching events and the decline of reef ecosystems worldwide (WWF, 2022) |
Climate change
Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, are causing changes in climate patterns, rising temperatures, and sea-level rise, which are impacting ecosystems and biodiversity worldwide (The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, n. d.).
Cases | Contexts |
Arctic animals movement patterns are shifting in different ways as the climate changes
| Arctic animals are altering their movement patterns in diverse ways. Some species are shifting their ranges northward in search of suitable habitats as temperatures rise year after year. Meanwhile others are changing their migration routes and timing to adapt to shifting environmental conditions. These shifts have significant implications for Arctic ecosystems, potentially disrupting predator-prey relationships and altering biodiversity dynamics in multiple areas and locations along the year (NASA, 2020) |
Glacial ice loss
| Driven primarily by rising global temperatures. As temperatures increase, glaciers melt at accelerated rates, leading to widespread retreat and thinning. Contributig to rising sea levels, altered water supplies, and increased risks of natural disasters, such as: landslices and rockfalls, sea level rise, shifts in weather patterns, etc. All of them change Earth’s cryosphere and hydrological systems (NASA, 2020) |
Overexploitation of resources
Overfishing, indiscriminate hunting, deforestation, and extraction of mineral resources are depleting natural resources at unsustainable rates, negatively affecting species populations and ecosystems overall.
Cases | Contexts |
Fish stocks
| Due to industrial fishing practices, including trawling and longlining, fish populations are depleted faster than they can reproduce. This threatens marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of fishing communities |
Forests
| Rapid deforestation driven by logging, agriculture expansion, and urbanization leads to habitat loss, biodiversity decline, soil erosion, and contributes to climate change through carbon emissions |
Fossil fuels
| Excessive extraction and combustion of coal, oil, and natural gas contribute to air and water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, and environmental degradation, while also driving geopolitical tensions over energy resources |
Minerals & metals | Mining activities, including surface and subsurface extraction, cause habitat destruction, soil and water contamination, loss of biodiversity, and health hazards for nearby communities due to exposure to toxic substances |
Wildlife | Illegal poaching, habitat destruction, and the wildlife trade lead to the decline of endangered species, disrupt ecosystems, threaten biodiversity, and contribute to the spread of zoonotic diseases |
Water resources | Overextraction of groundwater for agriculture, industry, and urban use results in aquifer depletion, land subsidence, saltwater intrusion in coastal areas, and water scarcity, exacerbating conflicts over water rights |
Pollution
Pollution of air, water, and soil with toxic chemicals, industrial waste, plastics, and other contaminants has adverse effects on biodiversity, causing diseases, population declines, and habitat degradation.
Cases | Contexts |
Atmospheric pollution
| Industrial emissions, vehicle emissions, fossil fuel combustion, and forest fires have caused an imbalance in the gasses present in the atmosphere |
Water pollution
| It is generated through processes such as industrial, domestic, and agricultural waste disposal, oil spills, and smaller-scale actions such as people littering rivers, lakes, and seas |
Soil pollution
| It is also caused by industrial, domestic, and agricultural waste discharge, along with solid waste dumping, fuel spills, and unsustainable mining practices |
Invasive species
Cases | Contexts |
Asian carp | Introduced to North America for aquaculture Escaped into waterways, threatening native fish Disrupting ecosystems and fisheries Zebra Mussel |
Zebra mussel
| Introduced via ballast water in ships Rapidly spread in freshwater ecosystems Clogs water intake pipes, damages infrastructure |
Cane Toad
| Introduced to control pests in Australia Became invasive, spreading widely Predatory on native species, disrupts ecosystems |
Burmese python
| Pet trade releases in Florida Proliferated in Everglades, preying on natives Upsets ecological balance, threatens biodiversity |
Lion fish | Released from aquariums in the Atlantic Thriving and spreading rapidly Consumes native fish, affecting reef ecosystems |
European starling | Introduced for aesthetic reasons in North America Competes with native birds for resources Disrupts natural habitats and nesting sites |
Conclusion
Unfortunately, as we stated, biodiversity is at risk. When we destroy habitats or drive species to extinction, we’re not just harming nature – we’re also putting our own well-being in jeopardy. That’s why it’s so urgent that we take action to protect biodiversity. We need to conserve habitats, stop polluting our environment, and make sure we use natural resources sustainably. We need to inform each other of the consequences of what is happening, take action in every way possible and to demand governments everywhere to take action as well. Change is our only option if we want to save our planet, and it must start with us.
References
Martín-López, B. (2022). Plural valuation of nature matters for environmental sustainability and justice. Recuperado de https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/biodiversity/plural-valuation-of-nature-matters-for-environmental-sustainability-and-justice/
National Geographic. (19 de octubre, 2023). Biodiversity. Recuperado de https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/biodiversity/
Rutledge, K., McDaniel, M., Teng, S., Hall, H., Ramroop, T., Sprout, E., Hunt, J., Boudreau, D., & Costa, H. (2023, October 19). Biosphere. Education. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/biosphere/
Stockholm University. (n.d.). Planetary boundaries. Planetary boundaries – Stockholm Resilience Centre. https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries.html
World Wildlife Fund. (2016). “Deforestation and Degradation”, recovered from: Search | WWF (worldwildlife.org)IPCC. (28/09). B-Roll from the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. recovered from: IPCC — Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Bibliography
Hancock, L. (2019). What is biodiversity and why is it under threat? World Wildlife Fund. https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/what-is-biodiversity Planetary Boundaries. (n.d.). Sustainabilityguide. https://sustainabilityguide.eu
Protecting millions of acres in the Amazon. (s. f.). World Wildlife Fund. https://www.worldwildlife.org
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